Showing posts with label action thriller. Show all posts
Showing posts with label action thriller. Show all posts

1/31/2012

Doomsday 2012 DVD (2009) Review

Doomsday 2012 DVD (2009)
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This film makes a worth-while addition to the series of films about ancient and recent prophecies regarding the alleged end of days on December 21, 2012. It certainly makes better viewing than the recent fictional film 2012. This one does not give much screen time to Nostradamus; that has been done in the History Channel film of that name. Since I have reviewed that DVD elsewhere on Amazon, I won't dwell on it here. This film DOOMSDAY 2012 stands on its own merits because it introduces information not touched upon in the former film -- e.g., the real Merlin called Myrddin in the Welsh, the sylbils from ancient Greece and Rome, and even a computer program called WEB BOT, which inadvertently made predictions about 9/11 and 2012 it was not originally created to make. This film also gives more attention to The Revelations of St. John in the Bible.
Of course, we have heard or read about the predictions of the star-gazing Mayans, the Hopis, the Egyptians, and the Masons. Persons we may not have heard about are such characters as Mother Shipton (Ursula Southill) and a real-life seer named Myrddin, perhaps the basis for the fictional Merlin in the King Arthur stories. It also gives needed attention to the ancient Chinese oracle the I Ching, a system of divination that pre-dates the others we have heard about. In fact, this film consults (no pun intended) just about every oracle except the Tarot and the Runes.
The filming of these programs is astonishingly well-done and credit should be given to the efforts of the producers and cinematographers. Credit should also be given to this program in particular for including the skeptics who want to share their "rational" perspectives on this topic. These are quality productions, not throwaway cheap-o commercial efforts like those we have seen, even theatrically, in the past. Footage from various quarters is well-chosen and skillfully included to aid the interviews with the experts on both side of the controversy.
When I showed this DVD to some Chinese students recently, I was aware of some wide-eyed reactions. One young lady, noted for her insightful comments in my classes, asked me if I believed that this could happen. I was hesitant to answer because I am aware of the impact that statements made by a professor can have. I told her that I thought the evidence was credible and well-presented -- convincing enough as an argument. As this and other programs have emphasized, we have choices. Being aware of these choices gives us the responsibility to try to influence actions that will benefit all mankind. What else can I say -- that I am totally convinced that the world will end on December 21, 2012? I am not. Do I think that significant changes may occur that may alter our existence as we know it? I think it is a distinct possibility. We have seen some of these events already -- earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, tidal waves, global warming indications, a sink hole opening up in Guatemala, a chunk of Antarctica the size of Rhode Island (exactly as predicted in the fictional film THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW) falling into the ocean. I grew up on the Mississippi River and saw what flood devastation could do. I saw what the waterfront of St. Louis looked like after it had been inundated. I have seen flooding in south Georgia (in the US), and the images of floating coffins after graveyards had been violated by torrents of water will also remain in my memory.
I cannot help but remember how frightened many people were about what would happen to worldwide computers at the end of 1999. I remember seeing people loading up their carts with water in the food markets. I also remember what a graduate professor once told me when I was writing about the lost continent of Atlantis and apocalyptic literature regarding the many times that the end of the world had been predicted in the past, which is also mentioned in this film. As she put it, many people don't want to consider the fact that the world might continue long after they are gone -- an interesting perspective, I thought.
However, it is apparent to many of us that to ignore the possibilities of future world-wide devastation is naive.
Then again, remaining naive is what we do best, isn't it? After all, it beats thinking every time.

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It is a doomsday that is foretold in the Mayan calendar, the Chinese oracle of the I Ching...even in an Internet-based prophetic software program: December 21st, 2012. Is there any truth to the prophecy that the world will end on that specific date? And why do so many oracles throughout history seem to point to that same dreaded doomsday? This fascinating special cuts through the myths and offers a fact-based examination of the Doomsday prophecy. Also included is a bonus documentary: MAYAN DOOMSDAY PROPHECY which delves even deeper into meaning behind the Mayans and their apocalyptic calendar.

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1/28/2012

Crusade: A March Through Time (2008) Review

Crusade: A March Through Time (2008)
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From http://celsiusentertainment.wordpress.com/current-projects/crusade-march-through-time/
"About the new U.S. Release Version:
The film is currently 30 minutes shorter than the previous Dutch version and the story has been streamlined and sharpened bringing the characters and the conflict into greater relief. This new version has a new ending, some new scoring and a couple of new original songs written for the film."
Let me tell you, they really chopped up that ending.
Imagine taking 30 minutes worth of awesome storyline wrap up and squeezing it into 2 minutes. All that information and character wrap up and explanations for why these new characters are in the story and why they are doing what they are doing....gone. Replaced by some haphazard BS. Almost like it had been written by someone completely new who'd never written more than a junior high story for mediated english class.
Aside from the ending, the rest of the story line is totally awesome. Great character development, actions of the characters made sense and fit with the story line and character motivations. Had me, my bf, and my daughter laughing, in tears, tense, and relief. Led up to the climax smoothly, had us wondering if the main character was going to succeed, etc....and then fell flat, worse than flat, with the chopped up ending that made no sense and didn't fit in.
The dutch version seems to have gotten awards, but I don't see how the USA version can even be considered for one with that ending.
I would have given the movie 5 stars, except for that ending (can you tell I hated it??). I give it 2 stars because the movie was actually awesome, but in the end..the USA ending ruined it all.

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Young soccer player Dolf fails to score in the European junior championships, causing his team to be eliminated. Returning home, he visits his mother's lab as she tests a revolutionary time-travel machine. Dolf decides to travel back 12 hours to replay the match, but accidently ends up in the year 1212. Saved from bandits by the beautiful Jenne, his first attempt to transport home fails. Dolf joins Jenne and thousands of children on a pilgrimage known as the childrens crusade, led by a young religous visionary, Nicolas. Finding his modern perspectives both a help and a hidrance to his thirteenth century counterparts, Dolf is alternaely viewed as a miracle worker and the Devils disciple. Back in the present his mother frantically studies historical documents to arrange a rendezvous to bring Dolf home. While the journey is fraught with hardships, battles, treachary, and sacrifice, it is also a place where friendships are forged and a romance is born. His last chance to return home, Dolf rushes to make the rendezvous with Jenne in hand. Will Dolf return home safely with Jenne by his side?

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10/26/2011

The Sinbad Collection (7th Voyage / Golden Voyage / Eye of the Tiger) (1958) Review

The Sinbad Collection (7th Voyage / Golden Voyage / Eye of the Tiger) (1958)
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THE 7th VOYAGE OF SINBAD
By far the most "classic" of the three, this spectacular piece of cinematic adventure may very well be Ray Harryhausen's masterpiece. Legendary sailor Sinbad (Kerwin Matthews, in his signature role) is on the verge of marriage to Princess.....uh, I forget (a beautiful Kathryn Grant), and uniting their two countries. But not before the evil magician Sokurah (Torin Thatcher, in an extremely amusing performance) can shrink the princess to a doll's size in order to get Sinbad to return him to the Island of Colossa. There, Sinbad battles a giant Rok, a fire-spewing dragon, and (my personal favorite), the Cyclops...all brilliantly achieved by the greatest FX pioneer of all time, Ray Harryhausen. Oh, and there is the classic duel with the skeleton. Now I constantly hear people say, "Oh, like in 'Jason & the Argonauts'?", and it drives me crazy! Though the battle was far more elaborate and, well, better in that film, this is the original, people, the one that started it all! Indeed, this type of fight would appear again, and again, and again in subsequent Harryhausen films, ever improving (which really showed the true ingenuity of the man). "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad" is most likely, THE fantasy-adventure classic of all time, though some people say the same for the original "The Thief of Baghdad". But, I haven't seen that film, so I couldn't say. Plus, it doesn't have special-effects wizard Ray Harryhausen behind the camera to provide dazzling creatures right out of a dreamworld! A rousing, witty score by Bernard Herman, too!
Rating: 5/5
THE GOLDEN VOYAGE OF SINBAD
My favorite of all three films, even if it doesn't really deserve the title "classic" as much as "7th Voyage" did. John Phillip Law replaced Kerwin Matthews in the title role, and proves to be less impressive, but only by a little. And, hey, he actually has an accent! This time 'round, Sinbad discovers a strange map disguised as a golden treasure of sorts, and with it sets off to the magical isle of Lemuria, where legend has it that if you place the map/trasure in the Fountain of Destiny, you will be granted all-powerful, all-knowledgable, and eternal youth. But he'll have to reach the isle before the black sorceror, Koura (played to perfection by the sinister Tom Baker), who has more than a few tricks up his sleeves to stop Sinbad and his crew! This is a much different film than the first; the swashbuckling attitude is replaced by a darker, but more mystical atmosphere, which I find very cool! The score by Miklos Rozsa perfectly matches it, too (just check out the music during the scene with the Oracle; it's awesome!). The story is very inventive, with more twists-n-turns than you would guess. There is lots of suspense, too! And there is also Caroline Munro as the love interest for all you teenage boys out there! Ray Harryhausen once again provides a massive array of imaginative and expertly constructed creatures, including a flying homunculus (a spy of koura), and a six-armed statue of the goddess Kali, which is the showcase for a masterfully-choreographed sword fight sequence. As well, there is an exciting battle between a one-eyed centaur and a griffin! A first-rate fantasy-adventure.
Rating: 4.5/5
SINBAD & THE EYE OF THE TIGER
By far the least of the three, it's still enjoyable, nonetheless, though not for all the same reasons as the first two. First off, the acting is atrocious, but it is in a bad way; rarely do you feel the need to laugh out loud at its campiness. Second, the plot is pretty lame, and recycles quite a bit from the preceeding voyages. Sinbad is now played by Patrick Wayne, the son of John Wayne, though it really doesn't show. He has none of his father's prescense on screen, nor does he possess any acting abilities whatsoever! He is now on a quest to the land of *it's a really long, utterly forgetable name*, in order to return the Prince Kassim back to his human form. You see, he has been transformed into a baboon (?!) by the evil sorceress Zenobia (Margaret Whiting), but Sinbad must have the prince's permission to wed the Princess...once again, I forget her name, but it's a really hot Jane Seymour. They are joined by the wize man Melanthius (Patrick Troughton, I think) and his lovely daughter (Taryn Power). Like I said, the story is weak, so it's up to the craftsmanship of Ray Harryhausen to save the day, and he does it very effectively! The giant walrus isn't menacing in the least, but the fight between the Troglodyte and Saber-toothed Tiger is suspenseful and exciting. Indeed, the creatures (such as Kassim the Baboon) produce more emotion than the actors themselves! All except for the Minaton...I mean, he's supposed to be this unstoppable colossus, right? Well, all he does in the entire picture is row a friggin' boat! That we are deprived of seeing this brute giant in action is all but devastating. The music is overall mediocre, but the backgrounds are beautiful and mystical. In fact, the production crew shot the film in places that had never been used in any film before it, and it shows! (P.S. Why the hell is it called "The Eye of the Tiger"? It has nothing to do with any tiger, nor any eye...at least, not enough to put in the title.)
Rating: 3.5/5
CONCLUSION: This a great trilogy to add to your Ray Harryhausen collection. All three films are digitally remastered, and they're all beautiful (especially "The Golden Voyage"). They all feature the excellent documentary "The Harryhausen Chronicles", too. On a little side note, the DVD covers and great production notes inside are awesome!

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SINBAD COLLECTION - DVD Movie

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10/25/2011

2012 (Two-Disc Special Edition) (2009) Review

2012 (Two-Disc Special Edition)  (2009)
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So, when the world ends, it's the politicians and bureaucrats that we're gonna save, and the writers and the artists and the spiritual leaders are left behind to deal with the apocalypse. That was the most depressing element of the movie. What will the world look like if we only save the "important people" in Washington? Heaven help us. Seriously. If the future world is to be populated with the slimy-dog politicians and their ilk, I think I'll take my chances with eternal life, thank you very much.
Sitting in the darkened theater watching 2012, I was reminded of "The Bunker" at White Sulphur Springs (in West Virginia). Construction on the 110,000-square-foot bunker was started under Eisenhower's watch, when we were worried that the USSR might blow us up into lots of radioactive pieces. Turns out, our beloved elected officials were prepared to push The Red Button that'd end the world as we know it, and then turn-tail and run into their bunker, slam the blast-proof door behind them and emerge 90 days later when the danger had passed. And the most amazing part: The Bunker is outfitted with gee-whiz features that'd lead the unsuspecting public to believe the lawmakers were still comfortably ensconced in Washington, DC. In other words, The Bunker was *designed* to perpetrate a fraud on the American people.
Watching "2012" I thought about The Bunker and realized, this movie is probably right. If and when the world ends, it'll be the politically important that are given seats on the lifeboats. And it's probably right that if there is a cataclysmic event, the Powers That Be will not tell the unwashed masses what's going on, lest they try and steal one of those seats on the lifeboat.
That's just depressing on so many levels.
But I digress.
This movie is definitely impressive on the big screen, and the soundtrack has plenty of bass (which I like). But the script and the writing was a little sappy for my tastes. And as to believability - well - this movie fell short on that score, too. I don't want to spoil the plot, but NO ONE can drive a limousine *that* well. On the plus side, the graphics are truly amazing and scarier than anything I've ever seen before. I had to turn away from the screen to avoid some of the scary-as-hell images. It's a pretty intense flick, and it does a good job of drawing you in.
A nice side effect: After watching this movie, I'm a lot less worried about getting those pesky credit cards paid off. Does make you think a little more about enjoying every day, and appreciating the simple beauty in our world.
In conclusion, it's an interesting flick with awe-inspiring graphics, and it'll hold your attention - if you can suspend disbelief for a couple hours.

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From Roland Emmerich, director of THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW and INDEPENDENCE DAY, comes the ultimate action-adventure film, exploding with groundbreaking special effects. As the world faces a catastrophe of apocalyptic proportions, cities collapse and continents crumble. 2012 brings an end to the world and tells of the heroic struggle of the survivors. Starring John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet, Woody Harrelson and Danny Glover.

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9/11/2011

Pandorum (2009) Review

Pandorum (2009)
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The year is 2174. The population of Earth has reached over 24 billion. Famine and wars are commonplace. In a last ditch effort to save humankind, we send out a probe to find a planet that can sustain us. The mission is a success, though it will take over a hundred years to reach the new home...
Fast forward:
Two men wake up from deep sleep; alone, disoriented and suffering from memory loss. As their recollections slowly return, they realize they are part of the space ship crew navigating 60,000 settlers from Earth to the new planet. They have questions, but few answers. Where is everyone? How long have they been asleep? Why are they awake? Who's on bridge, flying the machine? And finally, once they discover they are NOT alone: what are those things, and where did they come from?!
Butterflies in my stomach? Check. Nails (my own ;o)) digging into my arm? Check. Conversing with friends about the movie long after the end? Check. All are side effects of a well made scary thriller (the sci-fi was just a bonus) and all were present in this case. The story has a great twist, but, best of all, it is largely plot-hole-free, as well as plausible.
So, why four, rather then five stars? Two reasons. Firstly, once answers start coming, they come fast and furious, to the point of being a tad confusing. Secondly, the two main characters are a bit lacking. Until the climactic end, Dennis Quaid spends most of the film saying "Bower, are you there...are you there, Bower?" He is a good actor but the script does not give him much to work with, leaving his talent underused. Ben Foster (the Angel from X-Men the Last Stand), disserves the top billing, as the action revolves mainly around him. Still, a more charismatic actor may have drawn us further into the character. There is a nice appearance from Cung Le, a Vietnamese-American real life martial arts champion (you may remember him from Fighting). He is a talkative passanger with all the answers, but, to Bower's frustration, no English. The man can move, but his awesome skills are not fully utilized here either. Shame...
This is not another Alien or Predator. It will not change the direction of film evolution. Still, Pandorum satisfactorily delivers scary, creepy sci-fi with a well put together story and a hopeful ending (I miss those!). It entertains!
Enjoy!


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In Pandorum, Dennis Quaid (Vantage Point, The Express) and Ben Foster (3:10 to Yuma, Alpha Dog) join Cam Gigandet (Never Back Down, Twilight), Cung Le (Tekken, Fighting), newcomer Antje Traue, and director Christian Alvart (Antibodies) to tell the terrifying story of two crew members stranded on a spacecraft who quickly – and horrifically – realize they are not alone. Two astronauts awaken in a hyper-sleep chamber aboard a seemingly abandoned spacecraft.It's pitch black, they are disoriented, and the only sound is a low rumble and creak from the belly of the ship.They can't remember anything:Who are they?What is their mission? With Lt. Payton (Quaid) staying behind to guide him via radio transmitter, Cpl. Bower (Foster) ventures deep into the ship and begins to uncover a terrifying reality.Slowly the spacecraft's shocking, deadly secrets are revealed…and the astronauts find their own survival is more important than they could ever have imagined.

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7/13/2011

Batman Collection: 4 Film Favorites (Batman 1989 / Batman Returns / Batman Forever / Batman & Robin) Review

Batman Collection: 4 Film Favorites (Batman 1989 / Batman Returns / Batman Forever / Batman and Robin)
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I'll admit that the price is cheap. Having all four films for less than $10 is great, but upon watching the first disc, I find that the quality of the transfer is absolutely terrible. Lots and lots of pixelation artifacts, especially when there's black on the screen, and let's face it, BATMAN was not a brightly lit film. The quality is barely, BAREly above VHS. I feel like they hooked a VCR up to a DVD recorder and had at it. I'm not even talking about grain (which I would expect from an older film transfer), but rather poor resolution. There are no solid diagonal lines, everything is blocky. The video looks like an SVCD that was poorly upconverted to DVD.
It's good value, if you're just looking for an affordable way to complete your collection, but if you're used to DVD-quality video, you will be disappointed...

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7/11/2011

Clash of the Titans (2010) Review

Clash of the Titans  (2010)
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Never mind that Clash of the Titans play fast and loose with the mythological story of Perseus. Never mind that Medusa wasn't a Titan. Never mind that the Kraken is from Scandinavian mythology, and that casting Lawrence Olivier as Zeus in the 1981 version was sort of typecasting.
The new Clash of the Titans is a darker, grittier more realistic Bronze age world than the 1981 version, but the story hasn`t changed all that much. The citizens of Argos have become disenchanted with the rule of the Gods. The Gods have caused too much chaos and ruin to their lives so they've decided to take their destinies into their own hands, and destroy the temples and statues of the Gods. In doing so, Perseus'(Sam Worthington) family is killed by a falling statue of Zeus. When Zeus (Liam Neeson) learns of the desecration urged on by Hades (Ralph Fiennes), he decides to destroy the city in four days or they can offer the sacrifice of the King of Argos' daughter Andromeda (Alexa Davalos). In a visit to the throne room of Argos, Hades lets it slip that Perseus is a son of Zeus, a demi-god. Being told of his near divinity, Perseus and a group of soldiers go off on their quest to save the city.
The special effects are great! The monsters look real and the characters realistically interact with them. In 3D the water roiling off the undulating tentacles of the Kraken must look really cool! The problem is they shortchanged the story in favor of the special effects. The story only follows the barest of outlines of the myth. Same with the 1981 version, although it's a little more faithful to the myth. The most glaring lapse is there really isn't any reason for Perseus to save Argos. In the myth his reason to save the city is for the love of Andromeda. In this version he's a stranger to Argos and doesn't fall in love with Andromeda. She's barely a consideration until she's needed to be sacrificed to the Kraken. The only reason he seems to take up the quest is because he's the nearest handy demi-god that can help out. Worthington's Perseus doesn't seem very heroic, there doesn't seem to be any emotional investment in Perseus in either the quest or the surrounding characters. Most of the time he has a stoically sullen, put upon attitude, and this keeps the audience at arms length from the character. He doesn`t seem to embrace the heroic at all. Yes, he kills the monsters, but the tasks he must accomplish like tricking the Stygian witches and figuring out how to survive the encounter with Medusa, he seems to accomplish almost by accident. It seems that Perseus isn't meant to be heroic. he repeatedly says he wants "to do this (the quest) as man, not a God," and he keeps refusing the gifts of the Gods. The message in the myth is for mortals to find the divine, to find the god, the hero within themselves, Perseus' refusal of the gifts of the Gods, is the refusal to find the hero within himself.
The 1981 version, although a bit campy in it's delivery tells the hero's story better. The 2010 version delivers better on the special effects. If such a thing were possible as to merge the strengths of both, you would have a better movie.
DVD Bonus Features: The only bonus features offered with the DVD are deleted scenes.

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In Clash of the Titans, the ultimate struggle for power pits men against kings and kings against gods. But the war between the gods themselves could destroy the world. Born of a god but raised as a man, Perseus (Sam Worthington) is helpless to save his family from Hades (Ralph Fiennes), vengeful god of the underworld. With nothing to lose, Perseus volunteers to lead a dangerous mission to defeat Hades before he can seize power from Zeus (Liam Neeson) and unleash hell on earth. Battling unholy demons and fearsome beasts, Perseus and his warriors will only survive if Perseus accepts his power as a god, defies fate and creates his own destiny.

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7/03/2011

Sherlock Holmes (2009) Review

Sherlock Holmes  (2009)
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After reading the reviews from some of the critics I was surprised by how many of them talked disdainfully about this movie as a divergence from the source material. I'm assuming many of them were relying on the old Basil Rathbone movies to color their interpretation of Holmes. They seem to overlook the fact that in the actual novels and stories penned by Doyle Holmes was an artistically tempermental, manic depressive, physically powerful individual who annoyed Watson by conducting experiments in their shared flat. He had been a prize fighter under another name, he was a cocaine addict and, according to "the Adventure of the Empty House" he was skilled in one of the earliest "mixed martial arts", Bartitsu (misspelled by Doyle as "Baritsu"). Watson was a formidable former Army doctor discharged due to complications from a shoulder injury sustained in heavy combat while serving in Afghanistan. In many ways their depiction in this movie is much closer to their depiction by Doyle than what we've seen in the past. I am especially gratified that they finally did away with the ludicrously out of place deerstalker cap that became a staple of the Holmes movies due to one of the original Padget illustrations and which made no sense for the character when he was in an urban setting.

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The hangman did his job, Dr. Watson declared the condemned man dead...yet Lord Blackwood has emerged from the tomb to assert his deadly will over 1890 London. Is he in league with the forces of hell itself? Is the whole Empire in peril? It's a mystery macabre--and only Sherlock Holmes can master it.
Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law put memorable imprints on Holmes and Watson in this bold new reimagining that makes the legendary sleuth a daring man of action as well as a peerless man of intellect. Baffling clues, astonishing Holmesian deductions, nimble repartee, catch-your-breath scenes of one slam thing after another--director Guy Ritchie helms the excitement reintroducing the great detective to the world. Meet the new Sherlock Holmes!

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